BRAVE and inclusive leadership. In today’s episode Judith Germain speaks to David Mcqueen about his approach to BRAVE and inclusive leadership, his new book, and how he engages in difficult conversations online. He emphasises resilience’s collective nature, advising building support systems before crises. Judith agrees community strengthens us prior to needing aid, promoting proactivity over reactivity.
David discusses leading complex discussions online through education versus attacks. He shares strategies for responding to trolls while focusing discussions on issues, not persons, to promote critical thinking.
Key Takeaways
- Brave leadership requires courage, resilience, agility, vision, and ethics. These pillars allow leaders to make bold yet thoughtful decisions.
- Leadership is a dance where the leader adapts to the follower, not the other way around. Leaders must empathise and understand experiences they haven’t lived.
- Build a personal advisory board for support, critiques, and amplification. Move from individualistic to collective leadership.
- Frame online discussions around data and critical thinking, not attacks. Seek teaching moments to create change.
The Pillars of Brave Leadership
- BOLD: Make courageous decisions about hiring, firing, and bold changes. Leadership is difficult but not impossible.
- RESILIENT: Bounce back from challenges as a team. Build your support system before you need it. Don’t face crises alone.
- AGILE: Adapt to constant change. Build anti-fragility into systems and mindsets. Lead beyond textbooks and degrees.
- VISIONARY: Inspire and guide people towards a vision. Help people believe in future possibilities.
- ETHICAL: Consider collective ethical impact, not just individual morality. How will decisions affect others and the environment?
Bravery Requires Nuance
- Bravery looks different depending on gender, race, ability etc. Black women leaders face different scrutiny.
- Leaders must dance to the styles of their partners. Adjust for cultural differences in communication, hierarchy.
- Empathize beyond your experience. Learn from black leaders but lead differently than white men.
Having Brave Conversations Online
- Frame discussions with data, facts, and logic – not just opinions. Make teaching moments.
- Detach from personal attacks. Redirect to issues and solutions. Don’t feed the trolls.
- Find the nuance. Discuss how to lead through difficult situations vs. just taking sides.
- Leverage platform and voice to uplift others. Recommend speakers, make introductions.
David McQueen is passionate about developing leaders. He is also an Angel investor, Mentor, Host of the BRAVE Leader podcast, a three times TEDx speaker and author.
Maverick leadership is all about thinking outside the box and challenging the status quo. It’s about having the courage to take risks and the confidence to lead in a way that is authentic and genuine.
But amplifying your influence as a leader isn’t just about having a strong vision or a big personality. It’s also about having the right leadership capability and being able to execute on your ideas and plans.
The consequences of not having the right level of influence as a leader can be significant. Without the ability to inspire and motivate others, you may struggle to achieve your goals and make a real impact.
How Influential Are you? Take the scorecard at amplifyyourinfluence.scoreapp.com and see.
David Mcqueen can be found on LinkedIn here. His website can be found here.
You can listen to Episode 374 on any of the popular podcast platforms or apps (including Spotify, and Audible). If you prefer to listen to your browser you can do that below. Enjoy!